A privacy policy shows your website users and the Information Commissioner’s Office that you are complying with the Data Protection Act 1998 when it comes to collecting personal data about a user.

It will contain information about who controls the data, how the data will be used, whether the information is likely to leave the EEA, to whom the data will be transmitted and how the data is gathered.In practice, not every website user will read a privacy policy thoroughly before using your website and submitting their personal data, but plonking any old policy onto your website can cause headaches down the line.

Here are three headaches that can arise from using an incorrectly worded privacy policy:

If visitors don’t feel that their personal data is safe with you and that you are not complying with the law, what if they submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office?

If visitors believe that your privacy policy is not compliant with the law, what if they take to social media and ruin your reputation as a reliable, trustworthy and law abiding business?

In the (hopefully unlikely) event of a data breach and subsequent leak of your customers’ personal data, will the Information Commissioner’s Office have reason to investigate your business due to your lack of perceived privacy compliance?

​Sure, a privacy policy is an annoying grudge purchase. Hence it’s a good idea to get your entire site complaint in one go.